MxMIndia

Tag: Budweiser

  • Launches 'BudX Uncovered' to spotlight emerging talent

    Budweiser partners with Indian, global music festivals

    By Our Staff

     

    Budweiser, the beer brand, is enhancing its presence at leading music festivals. The brand has partnered with iconic Indian and Global music festivals, including DGTL, Echoes of Earth, Magnetic Fields, Boiler Room, and Lollapalooza. At these music experiences the brand will launch ‘BudX Uncovered’, an initiative to spotlight emerging talent & sought-after artists. Budweiser will also offer festival-goers experiences at the intersection of music, art, fashion, and culture, allowing them to engage with the brand more meaningfully.

     

    Commenting on the brand’s initiatives, Vineet Sharma, VP Marketing & Trade Marketing, AB InBev India, said: “Music has always been a strong passion point for our consumers, and we are committed to elevating India’s music scene. Over the years, Budweiser has brought to India numerous international IPs like EDC, Sensation, DGTL, Boiler Room and Lollapalooza, partnered with homegrown festivals like VH1 Supersonic, Echoes of Earth and Magnetic Fields, and created our very own music platform ‘BudX’. These collaborations aren’t just about providing artists a stage; they’re about creating a global platform for local dreamers. Additionally, initiatives like BudX Uncovered highlight our differentiated approach in music, placing emerging talent in the spotlight and crafting a unique experience that resonates deeply with our consumers. We will continue to build engagements that help us connect with our audience authentically, making Budweiser synonymous with high-energy moments.”

     

  • Bringing music and culture to the centerstage

    Budweiser India ropes in trailblazers for last leg of FIFA campaign

    By Our Staff

     

    Budweiser, an Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) global brand, has collaborated with four trailblazers of the country for the latest leg of the FIFA 2022 campaign. Kissnuka, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Masaba Gupta and Santanu Hazarika come together to celebrate the shared passion and spirit of Budweiser and football with a war cry that unites people across borders– “The World Is Yours To Take”. Sharing their journey to the top like never before, the celebrities dive into the trials and tribulations they faced, the triumphs they rejoiced, and the immense anticipation experienced before any big moment – just like a football player does as he makes his way from the tunnel to the field.

     

    On the campaign, Vineet Sharma, VP Marketing – South Asia, AB InBev, said: “With over 35 years of collaboration with FIFA, Budweiser continues to create high energy consumer moments and conversations that shape the cultural fabric of the country. Through this  campaign, The World Is Yours To Take, we want to engage with consumers, celebrate the greatness of the sport and the determination, courage it takes to achieve success. We have collaborated with four phenomenal stars – Kissnuka, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Masaba Gupta and Santanu Hazarika, who inspire millions, through their journeys, to follow their dreams despite the challenges that may come their way.”

     

  • Either ASCI gets a mandate to take tough measures, or remove the loopholes or let an outside body with enough powers step in, writes Vikas Mehta

    The curious case of self-regulation

     

     

    By Vikas Mehta

     

    Vikas MehtaThe Budweiser ad aired on the IPL last week is symptomatic of the hypocrisy that is so evident in the industry. On the face of it, there is a blanket ban on alcohol and gutkha products. Yet, both the categories find enough loopholes to beat the ban. Both get away with surrogate advertising. ‘We are not about guthka but about silver coated elaichi.’ ‘ We are not about alcohol but about playing cards or water.’ And to add insult to the injury, stars like Akshay Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan, who at the drop of a hat shout about nationalism and patriotism, find nothing morally wrong in promoting such products. When they are criticised and trolled, they profess ignorance about such surrogate advertising, apologise, make some grand gestures about cancelling contract or donating the earnings to a social cause and life continues as before. The ads continue unashamedly.

     

    But the Budweiser ad tops it all. It does not even pretend to be a surrogate. It shows what definitely looks like a beer bottle. It talks about being brewed over nights. And then to make sure there is no confusion that the product is a beer, it talks about brewed over 21 nights for a smoother taste. How brazen can one get? It’s almost like teasing the regulatory bodies. And what will they do?

     

    ASCI will wait for someone to complain. Then issue a showcause notice. If the advertiser does not respond within a few weeks, it will write to the advertiser that the ad violates its code of conduct and they should desist from airing the ad. In the meanwhile, IPL would have not only finished but the advertiser would have anyways stopped airing the ads. Come to think of it, Budweiser has already stopped the ads. It was a neat ambush. All are happy. The advertiser has got exposure in IPL. ASCI will have done everything by the book and can claim that they stopped the ad.

     

    But soon enough this will become inspiration for another advertiser and the whole story will be repeated. This self-regulation is a joke. We need fines, bans. Some tough measures. But what can one expect from a body whose rules do not allow it to rule on government or political ads. Mind you, these are the largest source of revenue for press media. But ASCI constitution does not allow it to question political ads or government ads. So, how can we expect anything tough from ASCI? The self-regulation is a hypocrisy so that no law-enforcing body need interfere. The industry continues to make merry. This charade, hypocrisy has to be stopped. Either ASCI gets a mandate to take tough measures, or remove the loopholes or let an outside body with enough powers step in.

     

    The silver lining this week was the first decent Jio ad I have seen. And it was for Jiomart. A very homely and not over-the-top, Ranveer showcases the simple features of Jiomart along with Deepika. Everyday sasta, no minimum order. The two ads make two simple points. One, is the power of storytelling. Single-minded benefit in each ad makes it episodic and entertaining. Two, how star power can be harnessed in an effective way. Ranveer, has a screen persona which is outlandish and over the top. But as a husband one can expect him to be a normal, doting husband. And that’s exactly how he comes across.

    For me, the ad of the week was Cred. There have been lot of stories and tales about Ravi Shastri and his extracurricular habits. Cred used these brilliantly to build a narrative about Shastri. What I particularly like was that they could convince Shastri to portray his oft-debated, but never openly discussed persona in the ad. It was hugely entertaining and did the job for the brand also very well.

    https://youtu.be/vLHpfulLcUE

    So, as we have the four surprise play-off teams in competition, we have had some surprising ads this week. Which were your Top 4 ads of IPL 2022? Compare your notes with me. Next week.

     

     

    Vikas Mehta is a senior marketing and business strategist and educator. This is the second IPL season where he has been reviewing for MxMIndia. His views here are personal.

  • Will be responsible for overall influencer management of the beer brand

    Voxxy Media wins influencer marketing mandate for Budweiser

    By Our Staff

     

    Voxxy Media, a global influencer marketing and social media company, has bagged the influencer marketing mandate for beer brand Budweiser in India. The team will be responsible for Budweiser’s overall influencer management, playing an important role in meeting specific campaign objectives, continue to increase brand awareness and help gain traction within the target media amidst the booming influencer outreach realm.

     

    Talking about the same, Kulbir Sachdev, Founder, Voxxy Media said, “Budweiser is an iconic brand, and we are super stoked to be partnering with the dynamic team of Budweiser India in this exciting journey. Voxxy & Budweiser have yearlong plans to create the most viral, captivating and ROI focused social media influencer campaigns which will be launched in the coming months.”

     

    Added Ankit Kataria, Associate Director – Budweiser India, AB InBev: “Over the last few years, the influencer base in India has grown rapidly and has now evolved to command a large chunk of content. We want to be where our consumers are and, in this endeavour, are delighted to partner with Voxxy for our influencer marketing requirements in India. Voxxy’ s work has been engaging and delivering on the parameters similar to our business objectives. We look forward to a growing partnership with the Voxxy Media Team.”

  • The Instagram handle curates the best entries received across social media

    Budweiser 0.0 launches #RuleTheNew with Zoya Akhtar & Jay Oza

    By A Correspondent

     

    Budweiser 0.0 has attempted to unify creator communities and individuals across the country in its latest initiative called ‘Rule the New’. The Instagram handle curates the best entries received across social media. These hacks have been shortlisted by the brand in association with Zoya Akhtar and Jay Oza.

     

    Commenting on the initiative, Alexander Lambrecht, VP Marketing – South Asia, AB InBev said: “Even as the lockdown continues to ease, individual caution is vital to collectively combat our current challenging circumstances. Budweiser has always played a role in energizing the community, bringing people together to share great times. As we adapt to our new reality, we strive to continue doing the same – offering support and uniting our communities in meaningful ways – while underscoring utmost caution and safety. The ‘Rule The New’ initiative ensures that our partners and patrons are aware of, and well-equipped, with hacks to effectively conquer the new normal safely. We are delighted with the overwhelming response garnered till date, and the absolute creativity of each hack only re-instills our belief that together we will emerge triumphant.”

     

     

  • Developed by creative agency Wieden and Kennedy, is a 45-second film that captures the brand philosophy and asks the youth to express their true self through music

    Budweiser launches first ever TVC in India

    By A Correspondent

     

    Budweiser has unveiled its first ever TVC in India titled ‘Let Your Sound be Seen’.

     

    The TVC marks the brand’s music-led campaign under Budweiser Experiences. The TVC, developed by creative agency Wieden and Kennedy, is a 45-second film that captures the brand philosophy and asks the youth to express their true self through music.

     

    Commenting on the campaign, Kartikeya Sharma, Marketing Director, ABInBev, India, said: “2017 has been a fantastic year for Budweiser Experiences, as we brought to life never-seen before music and cultural experiences like Halloween and BUDx in India. Our first Made-in-India TVC captures how music provides real freedom to today’s millennials and inspires them to live life on their own terms. Budweiser Experiences will continue its agenda of effective storytelling and impactful story-doing in the coming year as well.”

     

    Speaking about their inspiration behind the campaign, Jonathan George, Creative Director, Wieden and Kennedy, Delhi added: “Our task was to make an international brand feel approachable to the Indian millennial via the passion point of music – so we showed a house party that makes you wish you were there, combining a modern vibe with the spontaneity of the Indian scene. We wanted to give a message that through music, anyone and everyone can show their true selves. Getting the music right was equally crucial, and Jungle’s ‘Busy Earnin’ gave us the perfect texture of old-school synth and energetic dance music.”

     

     

  • Developed by New York-based creative agency Anomaly, the campaign is the brand's story

    Budweiser launches equity campaign to mark a decade in India

    By A Correspondent

     

    Budweiser has launched its first ever 360-degree equity campaign that unveils Budweiser Premium Sparkling water. Now, in its 10th year in the country, Budweiser announces its latest campaign that is developed by New York’s Anomaly. The 25-second film derives its genesis from the brand’s core principles of freedom, ambition and authenticity, notes a communique.

     

    Commenting on the campaign, Kartikeya Sharma, Marketing Director, ABInBev, India, said:“Budweiser is a 139-year-old legacy which has remained authentic to its roots, and innovative at the same time to create the best brand experience for our audience. After 10 years of being present in the Indian market, we feel the time is right to expand our outreach while we aim to push the envelope on elevating the brand experience.”

     

    Since its launch in the country in 2007, Budweiser’s communication was led by digital media supported by on-ground experiential, notes a communique, adding that this is the brand’s first multi-touchpoint campaign that has been rolled out on all platforms of media like print, electronic, outdoor and digital medium.

     

  • Documents inspirational life stories of people that are driven by their ambition, authenticity & freedom

    Budweiser salutes achievers in latest digital campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    As a part of its on-going campaign, Brewed The Hard Way (BTHW), Budweiser has announced a series of digital films showcasing the inspirational success stories of fashionista Masaba Gupta, Indian team footballer Robin Singh and a genre breaking EDM artist, Dualist Inquiry a.k.a Sahej Bakshi. These films effectively capture the values of ambition, authenticity, and freedom values which have driven these individuals to successfully carve out a niche for themselves.

     

    Budweiser’s campaign, BTHW, attempts to reach out to young adults who live life on their own terms, pursue their passion with conviction, and walk through the world with a confidence that only comes from knowing who you truly are. The campaign that began with the launch of Budweiser’s global videos aims to bring to life key brand values like freedom, ambition, and authenticity.

     

    Speaking about the digital series, Kartikeya Sharma, Marketing Director, AB InBev, India & South East Asia said, “Budweiser is a beer that is brewed on its own terms, for people who live on their own terms. Our campaign, Brewed The Hard Way, is a call out to those individuals, who embody values like ambition, authenticity and freedom.  Personalities like Masaba Gupta, Robin Singh, and Sahej Bakshi are youth icons who have brilliantly demonstrated these values and philosophy, in the manner in which they have achieved success. We are happy to partner with them and hope their journeys inspire many more.”

     

    The films will be released via the Budweiser’s social media and digital platforms. The films were conceptualized and produced by the brand’s digital marketing agency, DigitasLBI.

     

    Upasana Roy, Head of Strategy, DigitasLBi India said, “Everyone loves to tell a success story; few tell it like it really happened. Budweiser knows first-hand, that it takes a long time to perfect one’s dream, and the process is one filled with a lot hard work and passion. This was the primary lens deployed through our creative process for this campaign. In our creative journey, we chose to not focus on just the typical “before the fame” elements. Instead, we realized that each of the personalities have undergone an arduous process, one that needs to be continually repeated and perfected despite their success. This is what set them apart and made their inspiring narratives fit naturally into the philosophy of Brewed the Hard Way.”